Resetting Caffeine

As I sit at my desk and write this particular post, I am nearly at the end of my third day straight without having a single cup of coffee. Yes, that's right - for the week August 3-7, I am going without coffee. No coffee; no tea; pretty much staying away from anything that contains caffeine in it (which also says goodbye to Coke).

Why am I doing this, you might ask? There are a number of reasons as to why I am undertaking a cold-turkey approach to coffee abstinence. The first is that, putting it simply, I stuff too much coffee into my body on a daily basis. Twice a day, I would have a double-shot coffee sometime in the morning, and in the afternoon I would make another in similar fashion. Not too long ago, I used to only have two single shot cups a day, but because I gravitate to the taste of coffee like gamers to a LAN party, I upped the quantity (and consequently the size of the cup!) of coffee I put into my cup every time I had one.

Over time, this amounted to a LOT of caffeine flowing through my bloodstream. Wanting to know what my health levels would be like if I managed to completely starve my body of caffeine, and thus have zero caffeine in my bloodstream, is one reason I have undertaken this coffee moratorium.

Another reason is that I am an incredibly light sleeper, and no doubt the coffee I have in the afternoon is not completely gone by bedtime. Plus with the cumulative effect of my caffeine intake over the years (especially since making double-shots the norm), I probably have a LOT of caffeine flowing around at night; not levels that equate with caffeine poisoning (an actual condition that one can bring upon themselves), but levels that keep me awake for longer than I would like. So in the interests of my sleep patterns, I have elected to wipe out the entire trace of caffeine in my system.

Apropos I have noticed that since I started my coffee fast, I have become incresingly tired at night, unlike past weeks. While it makes doing anything at night a pain in the bum, it does make it that slightly easier to get some shut-eye when I turn in. One of my goals seems to be in motion.

Another reason, hinted at earlier in the post title, is that I have no doubt that I have way too much caffeine in my system, so I am in effect "resetting" my bodily system, and putting my caffeine levels at zero.

This of course has repercussions for my body chemistry. When I first went from single to constant double-shots, I did notice (within the first two to four weeks of doing so) a change in cognitive and emotional attitude. I was prone to being more irritable and more dependent on the brown stuff. But once those two to four weeks passed, my body in effect achieved a new equilibrium with my caffeine levels, and thus my twice a day double shots became the par amount required to remain in that chemistry equilibrium.

That is, until I cut ties with the coffee altogether for the sake of my health, physical as well as cogitive and emotional. And so I set out to achieve a new, healthier equilibrium position, independent of coffee intake.

If any of this sounds familiar to you in your own life, you may need to do the same steps as I have done. Whether you go cold turkey or a slow wean-off over time, too much coffee can have some ill consequences in store, should your intakes become even slightly out of hand. The energy kick you get from drinking a cup just isn't worth it in the long run.

I may go back to drinking coffee, but probably not in the way I used to. Or I may not go back to coffee for quite some time. But for now, I look forward to seeing the results of my self-guinea pig trials of what the human body is like without caffeine roaming around within it. Who knows, I might not go back to coffee at all!

Exposé - Hot n Spicy Instant Noodles

I'll be honest - I am a HUGE fan of the instant noodle! A couple (in my case, three) of packets, some hot water, and accompanying flavour sachet(s), and you have an easy to prepare meal, ready to eat at your leisure. These usually go well with a good movie, too.

Over the years, I have consumed quite a large quantity of these particular noodles. They are my pet favourite, and perhaps they are yours as well. They are spicy enough without the spice taking away from the flavour or the enjoyment of eating them (ever eaten food so spiced that you just couldn't taste anything?)

But I have to ask myself - what exactly am I putting in my body? What exactly is inside that innocent-looking packet of pasta goodness?

If you too are an avid eater of the instant noodle, no matter what brand, then please read on, because the instant noodle isn't as innocent as the packet makes out. There are, in fact, some nasty surprises within the list of ingredients that I wish to make known.

Please note that no two noodle brands are created necessarily equal. Some have one flavour sachet; some have two sachets; some have a chili paste; some even have freezed-dried vegetables. Nevertheless, while I am using the above instant noodles as the basis for this post, there are some ingredients that are uniform for all brands - namely, the flavouring sachet itself.

The Ingredients
For the Hot n Spicy Thai variety, I get three flavour sachets: A Thai Powder sachet (the main flavouring), a Chili Paste (think of it like an oil sachet, just not containing oil), and a small packet of ground chili. The latter I tend not to add, as the noodles are spicy enough for my palate. The chili sachet is hence ignored.

Main Ingredients: This is the contents of the actual noodle product. While for the most part the ingredients seem to check out, I am told that there is a Thickener (412) contained within the noodle makeup. Thickener-412 (can also be rendered as Emulsifier-412) is the number name for a product known as Guar Gum, which apparently is known to have some interesting side effects. 412 is known to cause Nausea, Cramps, and even Flatulence. That doesn't sound too good...

Flavour Sachet: If reading about 412 infiltrating my noodles was reason enough to drop them, then the sachet itself is going to be worse. It should be noted that the flavour sachet in any packet of noodles is going to contain the bulk of various chemicals. Even 'normal' noodle flavours, like Chicken for example, use a vegetable or flavour stock as the sachet, and the chemical compound of stock powder is bad news already (probably to be written about in a later post).

In the case of my spicy noodles, my flavour sachet has a small raft of numbers in it, much more than the noodles themselves. Of special interest is 621, which I will leave for last. But for now, let's explore the others that show up in my sachet.

635 - Known as "Di/Sodium 5'-ribonucleotide", which is actually the composition of two other ingredients, 627 and 631. This also can crop up as E635, and is known to cause itchy skin rashes, which can last up to 30 hours. Amazingly, this additive has been banned in Australia, so there must be something that the Aussies know about that New Zealand hasn't quite gotten hold of yet. Bottom Line: If a country needs to ban a substance from being mass produced, then that cannot be a good thing.

330 - The sachet also contains an acidity regulator, E330. This is the number equivalent of Citric Acid, a common ingredient in citrus fruits, such as lemons. For the most part, this seems OK, but most foods containing E330 have so by being produced from corn. The significance of this is because, via manufacturing, the protein is not always removed, and once combined with water (and the human body being ~70% water), breaks down into 621. This manufactured varient of citric acid can also erode tooth enamel.

621 - This particular chemical is known as Monosodium L-glutamate, or more commonly known as MSG. This mainly appears as a salt substitute, and as such exists in a wide variety of foods, and can exist in most canned goods as well (check your labels). The side effects of MSG are quite horrific, ranging from attacking nerve cells, to diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, and even Alzheimer's! 621 also has the potential to damage the nervous system, particularly if fed to young children or even infants. So damaging is 621, that it can also cause: Headaches, migraines, stomach upset, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks, heart palpitations, partial paralysis, "heart attack-like symptoms," balance difficulties, mental confusion, mood swings, neurological disorders, behavioural disorders (especially In children and teens), allergy-type symptoms, skin rashes, runny nose, bags under the eyes, flushing, mouth lesions, depression, and perhaps even more. Satirically, if anyone tells you they are suffering from "Chinese Food Syndrome", they are suffering reactions due to the consumption of MSG.

In other words, avoid any and all products containing E621 like the black plague!

Conclusion and Analysis
In summing up the ingredients of my favourite noodles, it seems I have been, to put it bluntly, slowly poisoning myself over time. Interestingly, as I sit here and write this, I have got an obvious presence of rashes on my upper thighs. But thigh rashes notwithstanding, I'm not cool with the idea of ingesting harsh chemicals and getting any of the side effects that these additives are known to cause.

If you are an instant noodle eater, you have a choice. For my part, I am choosing to chuck in the noodle game once and for all. The cons far outweigh the one and only pro; namely, the convenience of making a basic meal with little effort. Health-wise, there is nothing in noodles that my body needs.

Final Outcome of Instant Noodles: FAIL!

A Great Meal Idea

As the recession continues to tighten its iron grip on my wallet, I have as of recent been looking at meals that: a) Don't cost the earth, b) Taste pretty darn good, and c) Contain no meat in them.

Now, point (c) is a remarkable one, considering that I'm a born and bred Cantabrian. Now, before all you devout Cantabs slate me as a heretic, let's be honest. Vege-based meals are not that bad, and besides -we DO need to be getting a regular intake of fruit and veges. Plus, the meat we usually buy probably isn't all that good for us anyway (but a healthier meat option does exist, which I'll allude to in a future post).

So I decided to have a crack at cooking up a culinary masterpiece - with all veges and no traces of meat. And thanks to Food in a Minute, this little beauty presented itself.

Chickpea and Pumpkin Casserole
Almost as simple as it is tasty, this is a pretty good meal to have in the absence of meat. Try it one night - you'll be surprised.

• dash of oil
  
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped (half an onion will do just as well)
  
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 500-600g pumpkin
• 300g can Craig’s Chickpeas, drained
• 400g can Wattie's Savoury Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup vegetable stock or water (preferably use water, as stock contains nasties!)
  
• 2 cups broccoli florets (you can use frozens, but will need to soak them in hot water first)
  
• salt and pepper to taste (this is optional, and can be omitted)
  

The method they recommend for preparation and cooking is pretty simple too, although I offer my own slight modifications at the end. But for now...

Method
1. Heat a dash oil in a heat-proof casserole or lidded frying pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes until soft.

2. Add the garlic and paprika and cook a further minute.

3. Dice the pumpkin and add to the pan with the drained Craig’s Chickpeas, Wattie’s Savoury Tomatoes, raisins and stock or water. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Add the broccoli to the casserole, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes until the vegetables are all tender.

My Suggestion: This meal goes pretty good with rice. For two people, a cup of rice should suffice. I use a microwave Rice Cooker to do my rice, but stovetop works just as well too. Once you've done added the broccoli as per Step 4, you will most likely need to leave it in for more than five minutes. The reason for this is to allow your veges, particularly the pumpkin, to soften up and integrate well with the rest of the casserole. I usually allow roughly 15-20 minutes on a low setting for this to happen.

Then all you have to do is split the rice, and lay the casserole on the top. Simple. Delicious.

And the best part? For two people, you don't even have to serve the WHOLE lot! You can serve a quarter of the total casserole to each plate, which leaves half of it for the next night's dinner. Two meals for the price of one. All you have to do for the second night is another cup of rice, whilst reheating the casserole. Easy as that!

Welcome to Christian Health Freak

Hello there, and welcome to my newest blog spot, Christian Health Freak. While my other blog is a space for me to share my thoughts, feelings and musings about this thing called 'Life', this area is reserved for numerous writings about food, health and nutrition, whether posts are written by me or sourced from elsewhere (with references, of course).

The Reason Behind This Blog
I suppose, like nearly everything that goes on in the world, there is a beginning point to this blog. I mean, how and why on earth did I even bother to write this post, much less craft this blog? If you have the time, please feel free to read on...

For the week just been (beginning July 20), I had been crook for the weekend, which pretty much sidelined me for the entire week. Since I couldn't really go to University, I stayed at home, bored, unmotivated...you get the picture. During the time I spent trying to rest and recover, I had a lot of time to think about things. I decided to reflect on my own life, and my lifestyle choices.

Inspired by a much needed move I had to make in my life, I sought about looking at my own diet. The reasons for this are plethora, but the main underlying reason was simply this: I wasn't getting any younger. I'm still not. And, putting it frankly, I needed to watch what I ate. You can imagine that, as a uni student, I don't exercise much. While I could easily make the time to do even simplistic fitness routines, I don't. I lack any sort of motivation to do anything about my fitness levels.

But when you think about it, doing ANY form of fitness for ANY amount of time is utterly pointless UNLESS you have the diet to back it up. In other words, there is little point in me running 10km a day, for 5 days a week, only to come home and plough into a bag of sweets or a truckload of two-minute noodles (which I am quite prone to doing). It's not rocket science to see that, in eating copious amounts of crap food, I am reversing ALL of the time spent doing any of that running. What a waste!

So, I have decided to do something about it. I am going to, in small successive steps, change my diet for the good of my health and wellbeing.

But you may be wondering, Big deal! Why tell US about it? Another reason is that, because I have become quite passionate about healthy dieting and eating habits, I want to inform anyone who wishes to listen to what I am sharing. I am convinced that there are a lot of foodstuffs being purchased that we simply do not need in our diets. And I am quite convinced that the general public are not well informed about what is really in our foods. For example, does Coke Zero contribute to weight loss? Or does it actually make you put on weight? That will be the subject for a future post, but simply put: if I encounter something cool - or important - in my quest for a better, healthier diet, I will share it with all of you.

What To Expect
Having shared the purpose behind this blog, here is what you will expect to find in the posts that I write in the future.

I will seek to hunt out foods (and food combinations) that I have made my own in terms of my diet, foods that will genuinely give me what the human body needs in order to function properly.

I will also seek to decode and expose those funny little additives and the like, those things that seem all to common on the supermarket shelves. For example, ever notice that nearly every emulsifier on a packet of whatever is always written as a number? Did you know that a large bulk of those numbers are NOT good for you? If I find a number that positively SUCKS for your health and wellbeing, I will shed the spotlight on it. Most people simply do not take the time to research the ingredients that appear in most foods, but these days I seem to be doing a lot of self-guided research. If you don't feel like doing the hard-nose research, allow me to do that for you.

Also, if you yourself encounter anything adverse in your foods, and you'd like me to delve a little deeper, then feel free to leave a comment, outlining the questionable ingredient. You never know - it just might make it into a blog post. After all, your health is at stake!

But Just To Clarify...
I'm not a food scientist. Not by a long shot. Although I mentioned university, I actually study Physics, Computer Science and Mathematics, and prior to this, I earned a Theology degree from Laidlaw College (formerly Bible College of New Zealand) - hardly what I'd call the core prerequisites for being a Food Biologist!

Instead, I'm an average, everyday New Zealander, one of over six billion human beings. I'm just like you. I'm a guy whose concerned over the food that I eat, the amount of stuff that gets jammed into food these days. And I want to raise awareness to anyone who wishes to visit and read my posts.

There are a lot of conflicting messages and differing opinions about food today. This blog is dedicated to getting past the marketing hype and giving it to you straight. I don't have any pre-hidden agendas - except one: an agenda to be a healthier person. That's a pretty good agenda to have.

And so once again, welcome to Christian Health Freak!